High/low beam adjuster bracket assembly
The subject invention relates to automotive head lamp assemblies with a low beam unit and a high beam unit. In an exemplary embodiment, the low beam unit and high beam unit is connected to one another by an adjuster bracket. The adjuster bracket allows for two ball studs to interact with the adjuster bracket. The first ball stud interacts with the adjuster bracket and high beam reflector so that the high beam reflector's vertical axis can be adjusted to make it parallel to the vertical axis of the low beam reflector. The second ball stud interacts with the adjuster bracket and low beam reflector so that both the low beam reflector and high beam reflector are adjusted vertically at the same time and in the same direction.
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An issued Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) requires that headlamps that comprise a low beam unit and a high beam unit have one mechanism for adjusting the aims of both the low beam reflector and a high beam reflector.
When either of the adjustment screws 18 is rotated, it will either extend the ball head 18 further away from the lamp housing or withdraw the ball head towards the lamp housing. As the ball head 18 is extended, the ball sockets 26 of the respective reflector will pivot about the ball studs 28 and the ball head 18 so that the reflector will tilt downward. As the ball head 18 is withdrawn, the ball sockets 26 will pivot about the ball studs 28 and the ball head 18 so that the respective reflector will tilt upwards. In order to adjust the aim of the low beam unit 12 and high beam unit 14, both adjustment screws 27 must be turned separately. Thus, the low beam reflector 20 and high beam reflector 24 are vertically aimed separately by turning either of the adjustment screws 27. These separate means for adjusting the aim of the low beam reflector and high beam reflector is now obsolete in view of the FMVSS.
BRIEF INVENTION SUMMARYThe subject invention relates to automotive head lamp assemblies that comprise a low beam unit and a high beam unit. Specifically, the subject invention relates to an apparatus and a method for vertically adjusting the aim of both the low beam unit and high beam unit at the same time and in the same direction. One embodiment of the subject invention comprises a low beam reflector and a high beam reflector connected to one another by an adjuster bracket. One end of the adjuster bracket is attached to the high beam reflector by a ball stud that is threaded through the bracket's threaded cylinder and snapped into a ball socket located on the high beam reflector. This ball stud can be extended or withdrawn so that the high beam reflector can be tilted upward or downward without adjusting the low beam reflector. The other end of the adjuster bracket comprises a ball socket that is attached to the low beam reflector. This ball socket accepts a second ball stud so that when the second ball stud is extended or withdrawn, the high beam and low beam reflectors will be vertically adjusted at the same time. The second ball stud can comprise a gear drive that can cause the ball stud to extend and withdraw.
In operation, the first ball stud will be extended or withdrawn in order to vertically adjust the high beam reflector so that its vertical access will be parallel to the vertical access of the low beam reflector. Once the vertical axis of both reflectors are parallel to one another, the second ball stud can be extended or withdrawn in order to vertically adjust both the low beam and high beam reflectors at the same time and in the same direction.
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Two such ball head features 64 are located in high beam unit 14 at a position that corresponds to the location of ball sockets 52 and 54 on high beam reflector 24. Further, two ball head features 64 are located in the low beam unit 12 at a position that corresponds to the location of ball sockets 58 and 60 on low beam reflector 20. Lamp housing 16 further has an access slot 66 in the high beam unit 14 that corresponds to the location of adjustment ball stud 42 and a hole 68 with a plurality of notches in low beam unit 12 that corresponds to the location of ball socket 38 of adjustment bracket 32. Low beam reflector 20 and high beam reflector 24 are attached to lamp housing 16 by snapping each of the corresponding ball features 64 into the corresponding ball sockets 52, 54, 58 and 60. Once the reflectors are installed, hex shaped end 46 of ball stud 42 fits into access slot 66 and ball socket 38 is aligned with hole 68.
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In this embodiment, high beam reflector 24 and low beam reflector 20 can be adjusted at the same time utilizing one mechanism. Referring to
After the axes w—w and v—v are aligned with one another, access slot 66 is capped so that adjustment ball stud 42 can no longer be accessed. Gear adjuster 72 then can be utilized to move the high and low beam reflectors and the adjuster bracket simultaneously and in the same direction in order to properly aim the high and low light beams generated by the high bean and low beam units. Gear drive 72 acts in the same manner as ball stud 42 to move high and low beam reflectors 20 and 24. As shown in
One embodiment of the high/low beam adjuster bracket assembly is described herein, but many more embodiments exist. For example, adjuster bracket 32 does not need to comprise ball socket 38. Instead, ball socket 38 could be a separate piece that is mounted to low beam reflector in the same manner as the rest of the ball sockets 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60 are mounted to their respective reflectors. In such an embodiment, ball stud retaining end would still be attached to high beam reflector 24 and gear adjuster 72 would still be connected to ball socket 38 as already described. However, in this embodiment, extension 48 of adjuster bracket 32 would be mounted directly to low beam reflector 20. Thus, high beam and low beam reflectors 24 and 22 would still be connected by adjuster bracket 32 and the reflectors would still be adjusted in the same manner as already described.
In another embodiment, ball sockets 52, 54, 56, 58, 60 and 38 could be arranged in different positions on the reflector to form different arrangements. Referring to
While the subject invention has been described in considerable detail with references to particular embodiments thereof, such is offered by way of non-limiting examples of the invention as many other versions are possible. For example, ball head features 64 can be mounted on the backside of both low beam and high beam reflectors 20 and 24 while ball sockets 52, 54, 58 and 60 are mounted to lamp housing 16. Further, instead of ball socket 30 being connected to low beam reflector 20 and ball stud 42 connected to high beam reflector 24, ball socket 38 could be connected to high beam reflector 24 and ball stud 42 could be connected to low beam reflector 20. While these are two examples of different versions of the subject invention, it is anticipated that a variety of other modifications and changes will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art and that such modifications and changes are intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the pending claims.
Claims
1. An automotive headlamp assembly comprising:
- a. a first adjustable reflector;
- b. a second separately adjustable reflector having at least one ball socket;
- c. an adjuster bracket having two ends, at least one of which comprises a threaded cylinder, the adjuster bracket connecting the first reflector to the second reflector and being arranged and disposed on the first and second reflectors, so that the first reflector, second reflector and adjuster bracket will move simultaneously when the first reflector is adjusted; and
- d. a first ball stud that is threaded through the threaded cylinder and retained by the second reflector's at least one ball socket.
2. The automotive headlamp assembly of claim 1, wherein the first ball stud can be extended or withdrawn so that the second reflector is adjusted vertically without moving the first reflector.
3. The automotive headlamp assembly of claim 1, wherein the other end of the adjusted bracket comprises a ball socket that is attached to the first reflector.
4. The automotive headlamp of claim 3, further comprising a second ball stud.
5. The automotive headlamp assembly of claim 4, wherein the second ball stud fits into and is retained by the adjuster bracket's ball socket.
6. The automotive headlamp assembly of claim 5, wherein the second ball stud can be extended or withdrawn so that the first and second reflectors simultaneously move in a vertical direction.
7. The automotive headlamp assembly of claim 6, further comprising a gear drive that interacts with the second ball stud, wherein the gear drive can cause the second ball stud to extend and withdraw.
8. A method of utilizing a single mechanism for vertically adjusting a high beam reflector and a low beam reflector in the same direction and at the same time, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a headlamp assembly having: (i) a first reflector with a first adjustable vertical axis. (ii) a second reflector with a second vertical axis, and (iii) an adjuster bracket with a first end connected to the first reflector and a second separately adjustable end connected to the second reflector;
- b. providing a first ball stud and a second ball stud;
- c. connecting the first ball stud to the first end of the adjuster bracket and the first reflector;
- d. connecting the second ball stud to the second end of the adjuster bracket and the second reflector;
- e. extending or withdrawing the second ball stud to align the second vertical axis of the second reflector with the first vertical axis of the first reflector so the second and first axes are substantially parallel to one another; and
- f. extending or withdrawing the first ball stud to simultaneously adjust the first reflector, which moves the first and second reflectors in the same direction and in substantially parallel planes after aligning the first and second vertical axes.
9. The method claim of 8, further comprising attaching a gear adjuster to the first ball stud.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of withdrawing and extending the first ball stud further comprises operating the gear adjuster to extend or withdraw the first ball stud.
11. An automotive headlamp assembly comprising:
- a. a first adjustable reflector having at least one ball socket;
- b. a second separately adjustable reflector having at least one ball socket;
- c. a means for adjusting the first reflector connected to the first reflector's ball socket;
- d. a means for connecting the first reflector to the second reflector, such that any adjustment of the first reflector using the means for adjusting the first reflector will cause a corresponding adjustment in the second reflector; and
- e. a ball stud retained by the second reflector's ball socket and connected to the means for connecting the first reflector to the second reflector, such that when the ball stud is extended or withdrawn the ball stud will move the second reflector without moving the first reflector.
12. An automotive headlamp assembly of claim 11, wherein the means for connecting the first reflector to the second reflector is an adjuster bracket having at least one end that comurises a threaded portion through which the ball stud is threaded.
13. An automotive headlamp assembly of claim 12, wherein the means for adjusting the first reflector is a ball stud.
14. An automotive headlamp assembly of claim 12, wherein the means for adjusting the first reflector is a gear adjuster.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 27, 2004
Date of Patent: Apr 25, 2006
Patent Publication Number: 20050190571
Assignee: Guide Corporation (Pendleton, IN)
Inventors: Phillip M. Watson (Indianapolis, IN), Jo Broshar (Anderson, IN), Travis S. Floyd (Howell, MI)
Primary Examiner: Sandra O'Shea
Assistant Examiner: Gunyoung T. Lee
Attorney: Ice Miller LLP
Application Number: 10/789,823
International Classification: F21S 8/10 (20060101);